Irrevocable [preview]

Chapter 2: Take My Name Away

I could barely hear anything over the pulse pounding in my ears by the time Kirk took my arm and pulled me back toward the door. I wasn't sure which part to fear more, getting "prepped" or whatever the "Outlook" was. I bent to gather my clothes, but Kirk tugged harder.

"You won't need those and you may as well get used to that now."

My skin burned with embarrassment as he led me down the hallway completely naked. There was no one around, but the air felt foreign, intrusive, as if even it saw my indecency and took an extra effort to remind me of my vulnerability.

I kept my mouth shut, and my eyes on the floor as Kirk led me to another room. It was stark, white walls and a white tile floor. Most of the walls were covered in cabinets, and through some of the clear doors, I recognized medical equipment. I got the feeling this building was like some self-sustaining hive of iniquity.

Kirk pointed to an exam table and, still in shock and feeling shaky, I climbed up and sat down. He placed his hands on either side of my thighs, "I don't care what your name is, and neither will anyone else."

There it was. I knew what was coming. They were going to give me a number, brand me, strip me of my identity, and I'd be just what Suit had called me-a new toy.

Kirk stepped back, but his gaze still bore into me. "I suck at naming pets, so I'll give you one chance. Make it good."

"Silver," I said. I didn't know where it came from; it was the only word that came clearly in my mind.

He lifted my hand to display my chipping silver nail polish that I had put on while I was making arrangements with my friends to have dinner. Why couldn't I remember the rest of the day? I couldn't even pinpoint the last thing I remembered. It all seemed choppy and malformed.

"Silver." He repeated, dropping my hand, "I can live with that."

I wanted to ask if he usually did this-or for him to clarify what this was, but I wasn't really sure I was ready for his answers.

I especially wasn't ready for another death threat, so I stared down, wringing my hands in my lap. It was the only activity that could keep me slightly occupied and out of trouble. I couldn't imagine never seeing outside of these walls again. What had I done that had been so stupid or terrible that I woke up here?

The door clicked and footsteps approached. I balled my hands into fists and curled my toes into the base of the table. Too afraid to physically turn and look, I watched the newcomer out of the corner of my eye. He was an older man with graying sandy hair, probably in his mid-forties. He wore an outdated Hawaiian shirt over black golf shorts, looking more like a misplaced tourist than a doctor, but he opened the cabinet and laid out his supplies on a nearby tray table. As, he pushed the table closer to the exam table, Kirk stepped to my side to allow the doctor access.

At least, I assumed he was a doctor and not just some guy they picked up off the streets.

I stiffened, but he didn't make an immediate move to touch me, instead, he crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter in front of me. "Gabe isn't going to be pleased to find you not only ruined his fun but claimed the girl as your own slave."

I kept my head lowered, watching my auburn hair shudder with every thump of my heart. I tried to follow their conversation, reminding myself that as long as they were chatting with each other, they weren't groping me, but at the same time, their casual rapport made me feel even more broken. I was the foreign element. They were set on keeping me, but I didn't matter.

"Glad Ross filled you in so thoroughly," Kirk said, "Gabe is a hot head who doesn't plan. What else are we going to do with her?"

"I get your reasoning, but I've seen his crew's work and I'd rather just avoid it all around. They have a tendency to blow off steam in destructive ways, especially when you feel the need to remind them who the boss' right-hand man is."